Harry Potter and the Slayer
by athena-arena
Summary: The Scooby gang meet the dream team in a Harry Potter/Buffy the Vampire Slayer cross over! Strange things are afoot in Hogwarts and it's gotta be to do with the new DADA professor, who happens to be a muggle... read and review people!
1. The Muggle

A/N: This is my first fanfic so don't flame me if it's bad

A/N: This is my second fanfic so don't flame me if it's bad! Just to clear it up, this is set after the end of series 3, and Buffy and the gang are pretending to be only a year older than Harry. I'm sorry to all you buff buffs out there if I've portrayed your beloveds in an inaccurate light. I'm only a passing fan…I can't tell ya what shoes Buffy was wearing in episode 17 of series 2 or anything like that... that's my mate Skye's department! So sorry if it's bad and I hope it all makes sense! Enjoy!

Dis: The universe of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, and is used here without her permission. No copyright infringement is intended, and I acknowledge that I have no rights to any cannon characters, settings or events mentioned. I have no intention and no desire to make profit from this piece, as the credit deserves to go to JK Rowling as she invented them and thus owns all rights to them. Not me. Got it? Good. All characters and references to Buffy the Vampire slayer - and the universe to which it exists in - is owned by Josh Whedon (I think? Can't remember) no copyright infringement intended. Onward!

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Harry Potter and the Slayer

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The Muggle

Thank God I'm back.

That was Harry's first thought when he finally arrived at the gates of Hogwarts at the beginning of his 7th year at the famous school for witchcraft and wizardry. Despite the fact that the castle had been the scene of more horrific incidents than a field hospital, it was always a relief to enter the familiar grounds and breath the fresh mountain air, full of the spirit of the magical education he thrived upon. Sure, Privet Drive was certainly a lot safer - no evil spiders, basilisks, murderers or soul suckers after his blood - but it was here that he felt at home. 

The opening feast was spectacular as always. Harry was never unimpressed by the daunting view that hovered overhead, the famous bewitched ceiling of the great hall twinkling in all its glory. He sat down, weary but joyful, with his friends, Ron and Hermione, who were loudly debating the topic of the moment. 

'I hope they've got someone a little more trustworthy this year…' Hermione was muttering. 

'No chance.' Ron snorted in reply. 'Let's face it: A year without some freak incident involving the Defence Against the Dark Arts department wouldn't feel right.'

'Well, it better be someone who knows their stuff. I mean there is so much we haven't covered with all the other business…'

Hermione paused at this and turned to Harry expectantly. With all the things he'd had to face over the previous years, he was probably qualified to teach the subject, let alone get his N.E.W.T in it.

'Hermione…' he sighed. 'I don't think we'll have to worry too much. It's a case of been there, done that…'

'Got the tee-shirt…' piped up Ron.

'And the mug…'

'And the top which says 'My friends defeated a dark wizard and all I got was this stupid T-shirt''

Hermione smirked at them disapprovingly, trying to conceal her amusement.

'Honestly…'

Their discussion was interrupted by a procession of nervous looking first years, facing the prospect of the sorting ceremony. The sorting hat did its job with it's usual style and grace, pausing slowly over some and making quicker decisions on others declaring their house in it's loud, squeaky drawl. Harry had got quite used to it by now and allowed his eyes to wonder to the staff table. The usual array of teachers were present. Sprout, McGonagall, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Flitwick, and Snape unfortunately who glared right back, and another man who Harry could only presume was the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Yet he looked oddly out of place. He sat nervously at the table, wide-eyed as if trying to absorb as much of the surroundings as possible. He took off his glasses and wiped them on a napkin, pushing them back up on his nose as if it would make the situation any clearer. He wasn't even wearing robes: instead he sat in a neat tweed suit and matching waistcoat and his expression merely showed that of complete puzzlement. Harry was kind of relieved that despite the clothing, the new teacher looked like he couldn't hurt a fly. Yet his eyes almost twinkled with experience and knowledge if such a thing was possible. Ron suddenly turned his attention away from 'Smith, Robin.' now joining the Hufflepuff table and followed Harry's stare.

'That one looks a bit odd, doesn't he?' he whispered as his eyes finally cam to rest on Hogwart's latest edition. 'I wonder why he's in that muggle get up?'

'Hmm…'

They didn't have much time to ponder, however, as the final first year was sorted (A Ravenclaw) and Dumbledore rose from his seat. The old man's body may have been failing him in his twilight ears, but his mind was still as sharp as a razor, the twinkle of his eyes behind those half-moon glasses never seeming to fade. He coughed as he shuffled to his feet and a respectful silence fell over the great hall.

'Welcome back!' He cried, raising his arms in front of him as if to embrace the entire student body. 'Another year at Hogwarts awaits you and I hope you take full advantage of what my humble abode has to offer. Just a couple of notices before we tuck in. All of you are reminded of the banned objects, so thoughtfully selected by Mr Filch. Hogsmeade for 3rd year up only…

'Also, I have some information regarding our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor…'

It was as if the whole hall now clapped eyes upon the man in the tweed suit, who shuffled even more nervously in his seat than before. The students mumbled to themselves over this peculiar sight before Dumbledore raised his hand to regain silence.

'Now our first appointment is unfortunately tied up with his previous employment until Halloween…'

'Probably literally knowing our luck with that job' mumbled Ron. 

'… which in some ways is an amazing stroke of luck. I have had trouble finding room to fit certain topics into the curriculum and Mr Giles here appears to be our saviour. As a special treat, he is here as a representative of the Watcher's council to give each class an informative and unusual in-depth look at life on the front line.'

The room was filled with polite, yet puzzled clapping as no one really knew what Dumbledore was on about. As he pleaded everyone to go ahead and enjoy the feast, Harry and Ron turned to Hermione for the usual explanation.

'Don't ask me…' she snapped, as if annoyed with herself for not knowing any more than the rest of the people in the hall. 'But I'm sure I can dig something up.'

True to her word, Hermione appeared in the Gryffindor common room a few hours after the end of the feast, where Ron and Harry were huddled round the embers of the normally roaring fire. As the only light in the large, circular room, it gave all their faces a warm, orange glow making Ron's hair appear to be on fire.

'The Watcher's Council…' Hermione declared, despite the uncertainty that either boys were listening 'Are the group designated to try and control the spread of vampires across the world, closely associated with our own Committee for the treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans. Not that much in here to be honest…' she said, scanning the book so large it took both arms to carry it. 'I'm quite surprised at that.'

'Thrilling…' said Ron, stretching out across the sofa on which he had sprawled himself. Harry, however, was looking at Hermione, whose hair which was now tinted gold by the embers, framing a face that was suddenly full of shock and surprise. She skimmed the passage again and again, as if to assure herself that the text was correct. Harry frowned.

'What is it?'

'You'll never believe this…' she said 'but the council…it's made up of _muggles_.' 

*

Muggles? Harry thought all through breakfast the next day. That would explain the lot then. The clothes, the uncertainty, the pure bewilderment on the face of this man at everyone and everything. He tried to imagine the reaction of the Dursleys if suddenly thrown headfirst into the world of Hogwarts. He shuddered at the thought. While the rest of the 7th years examined their new timetables with a vague interest, Hermione was fascinated by the fact that they had Defence Against the Dark Arts straight after lunch. Harry however was more distressed at the idea of potions beforehand.

'First thing on a Monday morning!' wailed Ron when the hideous reality of his timetable set in. 'Forget you-know-who, we'll be lucky if we survive that for the rest of the year!'

'It could be worse…' Harry grinned mischievously at the thought 'It could be last thing Friday.'

'Now that would spoil the whole weekend. Imagine the possibilities…'

'We'd miss every Hogsmeade visit…Snape would probably deliberately poison us…'

'Or give us extra, extra homework while the Slytherins get off scot-free.'

'Or find some excuse to put us in detention for a whole weekend.'

'Ron, he does that already.'

'Oh yeah…'

The lesson with Snape was as horrible as ever. His hatred of Harry seemed to increase every year, kicking off this particular term by swiping twenty points off Gryffindor because of the state of Harry's Caldron, still a little mucky as the Dursleys refused to let him clean it in the kitchen sink. Harry settled down next to Ron and Hermione, on a table as far away from Neville as possible to avoid the predictable explosion from his potion liable to give them webbed feet for a week. As the lesson dragged on, his mind turned the prospect of the muggle who was to teach them later in the day. It didn't seem to make any sense. A muggle, when looking at the castle would only see a wreaked ruin due to the complicated sequence of charms and spells set by the founders over a millennium ago. How could he get in? Even Harry, who had been pretty good at geography in his pre-Hogwarts years had no real idea of the castle location, mainly letting the train take the toll except in the second year when there was that unfortunate incident with him, Ron, a Blue Ford Anglia and the Whomping Willow. Even then he followed the train. And how would he get on the platform? It didn't seem to make any sense…

With this milling round in his mind, by lunch he was an intrigued as Hermione about the afternoon's lesson. Ron, however, was a little apprehensive.

'How could Dumbledore let a muggle teach Defence Against the Dark Arts?' he whined as he picked up another tuna sandwich. 'What would he know? He's probably read Dracula and thinks he knows it all.'

'You know, Ron,' began Hermione, 'You'd be surprised how much muggles know about such things.'

'Like what?'

'Well, they exist for a start…'

She did not continue as she saw it straight away as a fruitless exercise. All these creatures and inventions of magic the muggles were aware of simply acted as works of fiction, not the reality that was documented in its droves in the library down the hall. Hermione just sighed and looked at Ron with softened eyes, accepting his lack of muggle contact almost like an amusing character trait.

'It won't do us any harm at all to see magic from the muggle point of view,' she said reasonably.

Harry nodded in agreement.

'We'll have to put up with it at some stage Ron. Think of it as… an extension class for muggles studies. Your dad would be fascinated.'

'I don't even take muggle studies.' Ron muttered as they made their way from the great hall to the afternoon's class.

The rest of the Gryffindors, however, seemed to have adopted Ron's view of things. As they waited for the teacher to arrive, Harry could hear Seamus complaining loudly to Lavender about what a waste of time they had ahead of them. They failed to see Hermione scowl at them intensely over his shoulder. She began to dig around her bag for her quill just as the door opened and the muggle appeared, looking a little flustered.

'Sorry,' he said in a hushed voice, 'I'm a little snowed under at the moment. Please come in, sit down.'

Harry proceeded in doing so, but stopped dead upon the sight that lay before his eyes. The room, which he'd seen in many states - stinking of garlic, wrecked by Cornish pixies - now simply looked like an extension to the library, already vast enough to satisfy any query. Taken aback for just a second, he felt Hermione's finger dig into the small of his back, urging him into the room. She sat with him on the back row, joined by Ron and Neville. It was generally safe to sit with him on occasions like this - not a wand in sight. They apprehensively took out their books, uncertain as to whether they'd be needed, and settled down, waiting for the class to begin.

The muggle cleared his throat, appearing as unsure about the situation as the students were. He called out the register and didn't even flinch when he passed Harry's name. Harry had got so used to the routine. The new teacher would reach his name and pause, make some kind of comment and flick their eyes to the scar that pierced his forehead. The fact that this didn't happen, although when it did it annoyed him immensely, was a bit of a surprise to all present. Ron and Hermione exchanged bemused looks.

'Now,' said the muggle, seeming almost distracted by a book open on his desk. 'My name is Mr Rupert Giles, but please, call me just Giles. I'm no professor.' He stuttered, smiling weakly. 'Right then. Oh my, where to start?'

Harry had to restrain Ron from making a sarcastic comment at the poor man, struggling to find the words to address his class.

'Well... erm…' he began, examining each face almost dauntingly. 'To start with, I know nothing about wizards, witches, wands and whatever that game is you lot play on broomsticks.'

Maybe not the best thing to say thought Harry as he exchanged looks with the rest of the Gryffindors, especially his fellow Quidditch players. Ron looked as though Giles had personally insulted him.

'But…' he continued, 'I am willing to learn. I am hoping that this class, among others, will act as a two-way learning experience. You let me in on your world, I'll let you in on mine.'

And with that, he sat down behind the desk and dove straight into the open book. Unsure of herself, Hermione timidly put up her hand. 

'Sir… if you're a muggle…' she began, glancing at Harry for reassurance. Harry had long suspected that despite her hostility towards divination, she tended to pick up the vibes. 'How did you get into Hogwarts? What exactly are you going to tell us?'

Giles finally looked up to Hermione and peered at her over his glasses.

'Miss… er… Granger. Right. I have a lot to tell you. Although I am not born with _magical blood_…' he started, as if disapproving of the term muggle, 'Considering my status, special arrangements have been made. I am a watcher. Well, technically was. But that does not matter. Anyway, my function on the council was to watch and guide the slayer…'

'The what?' mumbled Seamus from in front of Harry.

'In every generation there is a chosen one. She is the slayer.'

Ron's ears pricked up.

'She?'

Hermione nudged him in the ribs.

Giles had now successfully gained the classes attention. The lesson consisted of a lecture on the history of the council among other aspects. Normally Harry loathed this sort of set up, but however he found this oddly fascinating. It appeared that for centuries this group were aware of the magical community, but, unable to join it, waged their own war against the common threat of vampires, demons and other nasty stuff using a muggle with some form of enhanced natural powers. When one died, another was summoned. By the time the Gryffindors reached dinner, it became the only topic of conversation. 

'Isn't he the coolest muggle you've ever met?' sighed Dean Thomas.

Harry had to agree with this statement. Compared to the Dursleys, Giles was royalty. Ron however, was more taken by other aspects of the talk, much to the dismay of Hermione.

'The Slayer is a_ she?_' he said for the fifteenth time that day. 'Now that's one girl I'd love to meet.'

'Oh honestly, Ron, get over it.' said Hermione, rolling her eyes skyward. 'I bet she's not very bright though. She may be the muscle, but the watcher has the brains. These slayers seem to be killed off too regularly for my liking. Silly risk takers.' She tutted. Harry raised his eyebrows.

'Silly risk taker, eh, Hermione?' he tried to hold in a snort. 'May I remind you of a couple of incidents in the past few years when…'

'Yeah, whatever.' She muttered and began to take a bit more interest in her meatloaf than the ongoing conversation.

However, when Harry eventually got to bed that night, after losing a game of wizard chess to Ron in more dramatic style than usual, he did begin to ponder on what Hermione said. Whenever someone tried to discuss anything to do with today's slayer, Giles always changed the subject. He said he was a watcher, but wasn't anymore. Who was the slayer? Why was Giles at Hogwarts and not off helping her? Why didn't Dumbledore ever get in a teacher who didn't have something odd about him? Ah, he thought as he drifted off to sleep. It's these little mysteries hat make life worth while. Ahem.

*


	2. The Visitor

A/N: Part two is here in all its glory

A/N: So here we are, part two of this Harry Potter/Buffy cross over. Hope everything is to Madame or monsieur's pleasing and that the urge to review is overwhelming. I apologise again for anything that isn't entirely accurate on the Buffy stakes (ho hum) but I'm a passing fan and so don't know everything. 

Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry's lot, Joss Whedon owns Buffy's. Anything that isn't theirs is mine so there, like it or lump it. Read on!

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Harry Potter and the Slayer

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The Visitor

The first few weeks of term continued in much the same style. Defence Against the Dark Arts was certainly less practical that it had been previously, but Harry didn't mind. It made a nice change. However, despite the hoards of information Giles was supplying them with, he continued to avoid all discussion of the slayer in her modern incarnation. 

However, in the lesson at the beginning of October, Giles stopped Harry at the end of a class about cursed mummies and asked him for a word. Harry exchanged bemused looks with Hermione and shrugged, while she disappeared up the corridor in pursuit of Ron.

'Harry…' began Giles, reaching for one of his books that made his desk constantly inaccessible. 'I was reading this book I got out from your library the other day…wonderful place that, Madam Pince is a true delight. Could have done with that before, really… and anyway, I came across this.'

Giles leaned over and showed Harry the page he was examining closely. Harry recognised it as a piece from _Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century_ and let out a sigh, waiting for the inevitable. It was headed _The Fall of You-Know-Who._

'It appears…' began Giles, looking at Harry with a newly formed interest, ' That you've had a little contact with this Voldemort fellow, hmm?'

'Yeah… what do you want to know?' Harry was a little fed up now.

'Nothing.' Giles replied quickly, a response that took Harry by surprise. 'I just thought you'd like to know you're not the only one.'

Now Harry was completely lost. This had obviously shown on his face as Giles continued.

'The only one to be depended on like this. Harry, the slayer was a very hard time of it, living in a world that is as blissfully unaware of what good she does as they are of your victories over Voldemort. Peas in a pod, you two.'

Harry managed a weak smile. 

'Today's slayer has had to give up so much because of a gift she did not ask for. Just as you didn't ask for that scar. She's lost close ones and often had to sacrifice her own happiness in order to protect that of others.' Giles paused and looked back to Harry. 'I've seen it. I wouldn't wish it on anybody. I just thought you'd like to know that some of us understand.'

Harry nodded gratefully at the muggle and slipped out the door, the conversation at its end. He'd mentioned the modern slayer. Harry was rushing off to tell his friends this bit of information when he realised there was nothing much to tell. From what little they'd studied it was easy to figure out the slayer was almost Harry's foil in the muggle world. And in typical style Giles refused to expand on the subject. He found himself in front of the Fat lady, mumbled 'Minotaur' and scrambled into the common room, joining Ron and Hermione round the fire to discuss the upcoming Quidditch game against the Slytherins.

*

By the time Saturday rolled around, the weather had truly descended into winter. Drizzle had been falling constantly since Wednesday and Ron, now a beater and captain in the absence of his older siblings, had been insisting on extra practise every night. Except since Thursday they'd had a new addition to these evening workouts. Giles was now to be found huddled at the top of the stands with Hermione when she had no homework do to, watching the wizarding sport with pure fascination and amazement. His gasps and yelps when dangerous moves were pulled off echoed round the pitch much to the amusement of the Gryffindor team.

'Honestly,' said Ron as he whacked a bludger with as much force as he could muster, 'You'd think these muggles had never seen anything slightly dangerous.'

'Well, I reckon they're a little wimpy when it comes to pain,' said one of the chasers, a lanky 5th year with long curly hair. 'Have you ever seen American Football? They wear so much padding I'm surprised they can still move.'

'Well,' Harry laughed, sweeping down to join them. 'I think you could do with that occasionally Ron!'

Ron's ears turned slightly pink when he thought of the number of times he'd ended a match with a broken nose.

'Come on you lot!' he yelled out suddenly, even though the whole team were easily in ear shot 'We can't stand around chatting when we've got a load of Slytherins to thrash!'

He's getting more like Oliver Wood everyday, thought Harry as he rose back up through the drizzle to continue his snitch practise. He suddenly saw a glimmer of golden light right in front of Hermione and Giles and while he whipped around and swooped in to catch it, he caught a snippet of their conversation.

'… Are you serious?' Hermione was saying, looking startled. 'Can you do that?'

'Erm, in a word, yes.' Giles said in reply. 'Its a complicated spell, Gypsy in origin, but a vampire can regain his or her soul, but unfortunately can lose it just as easily… One moment of true happiness and this gift is wiped from their body. Not nice.'

'Blimey.'

Harry wasn't taking much notice, however, as he had scooped up the snitch with his left hand and was rising triumphantly above the other players. Ron cheered.

'Four point five seconds Harry! That's the quickest capture yet! Those Slytherins are stuffed and mounted!'

*

Despite Ron's tendency to over emphasise in divination, this time round he had accurately captured the essence of Saturday's game. Malfoy had never been a match for Harry's natural speed, and partly due to a long absence of the snitch and the poor quality of the Slytherin defence, the match ended at 450- 20 in favour of Gryffindor, making the Quidditch cup appear sealed very early in the season. Ron had very little to worry about so joined in the fun and frolics that continued in the common room into the early hours of the morning. Harry finally got to bed at two, incredibly sleepy from the length of the match and a stomach full of butterbeer, smuggled in by Hermione with a little help from Padfoot and the gang. The dormitory was finally filed with Neville's snores half an hour later, and Harry's eyes began to droop. He was always the last to doze off, as if the familiar noises of his friend's slumbers guaranteed their safety. His bed was so warm, so cosy and comfortable…

BANG.

Harry shot up in a flash, wide awake, unsure whether the noise he'd heard was simply part of a dream. He stared out at the darkness in front of him, listening. All he could hear was his own breathing, deep and unsteady, absorbed slightly by the increasing wind outside.

BANG.

Now Harry was certain it wasn't a dream. The noise had come from the window. It had opened and now it had been slammed shut. Harry reached for his wand and slid out from his hangings that surrounded his four poster bed, eyes wide open now. They flashed, ever watchful, from each corner of the room, expecting something to leap out from the shadows. He heard a shuffle…

'_Expelliamus!_' he cried, aiming his ward at the direction of the shuffle. He heard a gasp as something heavy fell to the ground with a thud. Ron now appeared to examine the object that was now stretched out across the foot of his bed.

'What the…'

'I'm as mystified as you are mate.' said Harry, who now got out of bed and examined the object with a lit up wand, an object that turned out to be a man. He appeared physically only a few years older than Harry and Ron, yet had a face that showed a hundred more in experience. He was very pale with short, black hair, while his eyes, though wide from the stunning spell, looked warm and soulful compared to the coldness of the rest of the body. Harry took this opportunity to search the stranger's pocket for a wand, a note, anything to indicate his identity. Instead he felt his hand grasp round a small vial which he pulled out of the man's leather jacket. But before he could examine its contents, a movement out of the corner of his eye made him jump. Hermione had somehow heard the commotion and sneaked up to the boy's room, her eyes wide at the sight of this strange man.

'Angel?..' she gasped, as the boys looked at her, mystified. 

'Y- You know this bloke?' stuttered Ron.

'Not personally…' Hermione began, but then her common sense got the better of her. She checked the man's pulse and stood up decisively. 'We need to get him to Giles.'

'What are you on about?' said Harry, stuffing the vial back in the stranger's jacket, 'You're not making any sense…'

'Just follow me.'

Ron and Harry struggled under Angel's weight as they picked him up and scrambled through the portrait hole towards Giles' office. It was dark and by them time they'd had to hide behind three pillars due to the approach of Peeves, Harry began to wish he'd grabbed the invisibility cloak. By the time they'd had to hide behind a suit of armour due to an oncoming Mrs Norris, Ron obviously felt Hermione owed them an explanation.

'Well,' she began, unsure whether she'd be overheard, 'Let's just say he's an acquaintance of the slayer.'

'So he's a muggle then?' said Ron, still baffled. 'How did he manage to get in here then? I think Dumbledore better review some of those muggle repelling charms, I don't think somehow they're up to scratch…'

'That's because he isn't human, he's a vampire.'

'WHAT???' screeched Ron, dropping Angel's feet onto the hard wooden floor, the noise echoing down the corridor. Harry shushed him and turned his eyes on Hermione expectantly.

'A Vampire, Ron.'

Harry felt he had to stutter in a protest. 'But I thought a vampire could only cross the threshold with permission? I certainly haven't been dishing out the invites…' 

'Public building, Harry. Doesn't apply. Let's just get him to Giles' office before he wakes up.' She muttered as they continued down the hall.

When they finally reached the door, Angel was beginning to stir. Hermione frantically knocked on his office door, which opened in a flash. Giles however appeared unmoved by the sight of three pupils in their dressing gowns carrying a vampire round the school at the dead of night. Instead he just sighed.

'I though this would happen….' He mumbled as he beckoned them into his office. 

'Er, explanation please??!?' demanded Ron for the eighteenth time that night. Hermione finally complied while Giles set about waking Angel up.

'Angel was a muggle who turned vampire back in the 1700's. He's currently around 200 years old….'

'Blimey,' said Ron, 'Those anti ageing creams really do work…'

'Anyway around the turn of the last century a complicated gypsy spell returned his soul as a punishment for his crimes as a vampire. Personally I think it's pretty unreasonable as it's in a vampire's nature to feed and torture, but there you go…'

'Get on with it.' snapped Harry, now very tired and irritable.

'He's on our side now…' continued Giles from over by the fireplace. 'And very valuable too.'

At this point, Angel groaned and blinked at Giles, a little dazed.

'Giles! I found you! Thank god! Look…'

'Where is she?'

'By the lake. I followed her. I can't keep outta this one, Doyle had a vision from the powers that be and I knew I had to come and help. The others are with her. Giles, it's all happening, it's…'

'We can do explanations later, We need to get them inside. Harry, Hermione?'

Both instantly understood and hurried out of the room, leaving Ron standing in the corner looking rather baffled by the whole scenario. However beside appearances, Harry and Hermione were just as confused, approaching the lake outside with some caution. Across by the bank, they saw three figures, merely shadows in the moonlight, huddled together for warmth from the bitter northern winds. From what Harry could make out by their silhouettes, it looked like two girls and a boy, all glancing around them nervously. They couldn't have been more than three metres away when suddenly in a flash one of the shadows turned around and launched into a drop kick that sent Harry hurtling into the ground, only to find himself pinned to the floor by the tightest grip he'd ever felt, a stake aimed over his heart.

He'd heard Hermione scream and saw himself looking into the face of a girl with golden blond hair and a sun-kissed complexion, stake poised to strike at the slightest resistance.

It was the slayer.

*

Hermione ran over and pulled the slayer off, angrier than Harry had ever seen her, those eyes blazing behind the windswept mass of brown bushy hair. Harry, completely dumfounded by the girl's speed and agility remain floor bound, a little shocked. 

'What the hell do you think you're doing?' Hermione gasped at the girl.

'What am I doing?' she snapped back, her American accent clear in the cold night air. 'What do you expect if you go sneaking up on people in this place in the middle of the night?'

'I think we'd all better calm down a bit…' said Harry, now standing, brushing the dirt off his cloak.

'I'm with the kid with that scar thing,' said the boy who was with them, his eyes darting from one face to the other nervously. 'This place is giving me the creeps.'

'What's wrong with it?' said the slayer, looking puzzled at her companion.

'Well, it's a ruin, Buffy. It's falling apart at the seams. What Giles is doing here I don't know…'

'It looks perfectly normal to me,' Buffy replied, staring into the distance, 'All the lights are on, someone's obviously home.'

'Honestly.' Hermione muttered at this bickering when the explanation was obvious. 'Sometimes. I know my family is full of them, but you muggles can't see it when it's right in front of your nose… Just follow me.'

She began to stalk off in the direction of the Castle, while the slayer looked at Harry, bewildered.

'Come on…'

While the small group trudged up to the main door to the great hall, Harry's mind began to wonder. This Buffy character could see the life inside Hogwarts because of her slayer abilities, he presumed. But how would the other two cope? Had any muggle ever trodden in their footsteps and entered the castle before them? Would they spend the whole time convinced they were taught in a ruin?

'What the…'

The other girl, with glass green eyes and shoulder length auburn hair, a much richer red than Ron's, was looking at the great hall as if it had only just come into her vision. Obviously the muggle repelling charms didn't stretch as far as the castle's interior. While her companions gazed at the sight of the bewitched ceiling, the slayer was less perplexed.

'Take us to Giles.' She demanded.

Not wishing to be pinned to the floor again, Harry led them to his office where upon entry, she yelped with a mixture of shock and surprise, staring straight at Angel before she ran to him, almost knocking Ron over in the process. He was beyond bafflement and just watched with an expressionless face. Angel appeared to have the desired effect, calming Buffy down with a reassuring hug, as if it had been a long time coming. Harry and the others slipped silently into the office, wishing something to make sense at some point before sunrise.

'Right,' said Giles, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes, 'Time for some explanations on both parties, I think.'

'Giles, what is this place? What are you doing here?' said the auburn haired girl,

'And why are all these people wearing this strange get-up?' said the boy half merrily 'Are we going trick or treating?' 

'Giles, is this the slayer?' said Hermione, trying not to be amused by the boy's outburst which reminded Harry lot of something Ron would have said, if he hadn't been stunned into silence.

'How do you know that?' demanded Buffy, shooting suspicious glances in the direction of Hermione.

'What are all of you on about?' Ron said suddenly, looking at all the faces in the room frantically. 'It's three o'clock in the morning and I'm shattered!'

'Well, you haven't just been on a transatlantic flight have you?' snapped the boy 'This jet lag is a killer…'

'Well you haven't just played the longest game of Quidditch in your life with a bludger bearing a grudge…'

'_Shut up!'_

All six stopped dead, staring at Giles and his sudden outburst. He sighed at sat back down behind his desk, looking as if all the world's woes had descended upon his shoulders. He was silent for a while, with not a sound to be heard except an occasional creak of the castle as the winter winds began to grow stronger. The rain drummed on the window deafeningly now, while they waited patiently for an explanation.

'Introductions first, I believe.'

No one said anything for a moment. Then Harry decided to be bold and offered his hand to Buffy.

'Harry Potter, at your service.'

'Buffy Summers…' said the slayer, shaking Harry's hand politely 'and this is my friend Willow, my witchcraft consultant…'

The auburn haired girl waved shyly, as if embarrassed at this description.

'Wait a minute…' said Hermione, when what Buffy had said was sinking in. Buffy continued.

'And this is Xander, who…'

'I'm just along for the ride.' Xander grinned cheekily.

'Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger…' Harry said, indicating, 'Quidditch captain and best witch in the year.'

If these statements confused the muggles, they didn't show it.

'And what's special about you then?' said Buffy. At this point it appeared that something had dawned on Willow as her eyes grew wide and flicked up to Harry's' forehead.

'Oh my god… but I thought that was years ago… I've seen it in a couple of Giles' books, but…'

The conversation continued well into the early hours, where upon the newcomers learnt that they were in fact in Hogwarts and of Harry's legendary past. Even at this Buffy looked a little envious.

'Sheesh and I thought blowing up the mayor was a big deal…' she muttered.

But what they did not get on to was the reason behind the new arrivals, mainly due to the impending appearance of the sun meant a swift action to find Angel a place to dwell in away from the rest of the students. They settled on a room in the north tower, hardly used but discovered on the marauder's map, now acting as refuge for the vampire. As they bid Angel goodnight and locked the Tower door, Harry asked the question which had been preying on his mind since Angel's unexpected appearance. 

'Not meaning to be rude or anything,' he said to Buffy as the others disappeared to take advantage of an empty common room due to the Hogsmeade weekend. 'But what exactly are you doing here? What is all this business of Giles no longer being your watcher?'

Buffy sighed sadly and looked at Harry.

'Well, Giles is no longer my watcher because…basically he cared too much. You know about the cruciamentum test?' she said. Harry nodded. He vaguely remembered Giles mentioning a test that aimed to prove a slayer's abilities and resourcefulness in extreme circumstances, but without prior warning or preparation. 

'Let's just say that I passed, but he didn't. As with everything in my life, events went a little haywire.'

She smiled knowingly at Harry, 'But of course you know about that sort of thing. Two peas in a pod.'

'Yeah…so why are you here now? You've got a new watcher, right?'

'Kind of,' said Buffy 'I've actually left the council. We just didn't click. And as for my watcher, Wesley… he's no use. Knows his stuff, but he'd scream like a girl if a mouse said boo at him.'

Harry smiled. That image reminded him of Professor Quirrell. 

'Right now, we need Giles. It's gone bad. I really shouldn't tell you anymore just yet, but don't worry, I'll fill you in.' she gave Harry a wink. 'I think we'll need some help on this one. Anyway, I really need a nap. I've been up for 36 hours you know!'

*

Harry had no such luck. With extra potions homework due in first thing Monday and another Quidditch match just weeks away, he sat up in the common room all day with Ron and Hermione while Buffy, Willow and Xander used their beds to get some much longed for sleep. A lock charm remained present on the Gryffindor boy's dormitory to prevent any unnecessary interruptions. However, none of them had much concentration and tended to drift off into conversation about the previous night's events. Hermione was for once, the most intrigued of all.

'That Buffy must be something pretty special,' muttered Ron, obviously smitten. Hermione frowned at this comment but continued with her own trail of thought.

'How did that girl know so much about Harry?' she quizzed thoughtfully, 'I thought the muggles didn't really know about Voldemort…'

'Please will you say You-Know-who?' wailed Ron, flinching at the name of the darkest of wizards.

'Well, Buffy said Willow knew a little about witchcraft,' said Harry reasonably. 'She probably came across the story at some point but dismissed it because she didn't know about this whole set up.'

'I suppose…' said Hermione, not sounding convinced. 'Its typical thought, isn't it? First sign of trouble and she goes running to her old watcher. Told you she wouldn't be bright.'

'Well,' said Harry, turning back to his potions write-up but trying to avoid an argument 'I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.'

However, that statement appeared to be far from the truth. The gang went down to dinner, almost expecting some sort of celebration to welcome the muggles into there midst, but here was nothing. Nothing at all expect for the usual Sunday roast and jugs of pumpkin juice. Even Giles was absent from the staff table, possibly caught up in sorting out Buffy's little crisis. Hermione was continuing her bitter crusade.

'She's probably mislaid her eyeliner. ' Hermione said loudly, ignoring Ron's scowls.

'Hermione…' he said bitterly, 'What have you got against that girl?'

'Well, nothing, but…'

'Shut up then.'

Harry sighed as he attacked a roast potato. He'd grown used to all this bickering between his two best friends, but he thought it should have blown over by now. If it wasn't Victor Krum, It was that Fleur Delacour or someone else that was currently the flavour of the month that either of them highly disapproved of for the other. Both completely blind to the obvious, Harry thought as he raised one eyebrow at the pair of them the subject matter was quickly altered.

Despite his previous confidence in the abilities of Giles to quickly solve Buffy's query, Harry's hopes were dashed in the form of Giles' absence from breakfast the next morning, and their afternoon lesson. When the absence continued for the rest of the week and after a hideous detention from Snape that involved a dust pan brush and splattered frogs brains, Harry had reached the end of his tether.

'I need to speak to Giles today. Tonight.' He declared to Ron and Hermione over lunch. 'I need to find out what all this is about.'

'Harry…' Hermione said soothingly 'Whatever it is, it's Giles' job to sort it out. And Buffy's. It's not up to you. You don't have to put yourself on the front line for once.' She looked almost relieved.

'Hermione's right,' Ron said timidly, 'You should be on the bench for this one. Save your strength.'

'What for?' Harry snapped.

'Er… Quidditch?'

Harry however knew exactly what his two friends were getting at.

'Look, I can't just sit here and do nothing. Voldemort's uprising may be on the horizon and I may not even live to see my NEWT results, but I just can't sit here and wait for it to happen. That's not me, is it? I dive straight in. Head first. Eyes open. Buffy said they may need my help… our help… so obviously it s bit more of a deal than their usual package. Fighting demons and vampires out in the muggle world may be a completely different ball game. They're out of their depth. They're panicking. They need our help… and that's exactly what they're going to get.'

Harry promptly finished his meal and stood up defiantly, reaching for his wand. However Ron was up there with him in a flash.

'Count me in. Where's the gallant hero without his sidekick?'

'And the intelligent one who does all the theory, but also a damn fine practical much to the shock and surprise of her male comrades?'

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione and grinned. They'd never let him do anything alone. The three of them almost ran out of the great hall, knocking over a couple of first years in the process, and didn't even stop when Peeves threatened them with water balloons, disappointed at their lack of reaction, he went off to torment the house-elves.

By the time they reached Giles' office they were out of breath and red in the face. 

'Just… stop… for a… minute…' heaved Hermione, the others nodding in agreement. But suddenly she held up a hand to command silence as a heated argument appeared to be in procession…

'Look, it's just not possible…'

'Well, we can at least try!' Harry heard a voice he now knew distinctly was Buffy's, 'If we go down fighting then that's the best send of I'm ever gonna get!'

'Dumbledore is completely unaware of all this, we'll never pull it off.'

'So we're gonna sit here and watch the whole student body get wiped out are we?'

'For once, Buffy, I cannot see a solution.' Giles said quietly, sounding more tired than Harry had ever heard him. 'This thing is so infamous simply due it it's size and strength. The Agora cult has never been stopped before. Every thousand years it descends upon a place of collective magical powers and drains on them, along with the blood. It's the only way they can survive. Vampires who were wizards before they were turned only continue to thrive under the promise of this event. It looks like we've got a massacre on our hands. The date is set. Halloween.' 

Ron turned to his friends and gulped, the panic clearly visible in those big brown eyes. Even Hermione looked out of her depth. A vampire with the enhanced powers of wizardry was the worst scenario they could possibly imagine. While the argument continued, Hermione turned to Harry, the worry etched into her face.

'Are you sure about this?…' she began. But immediately she knew Harry's mind was set. He opened the door to the office and turned to look at his now petrified friends.

'We can't do it without the students knowing…'

'I think it's a little too late for that.'

Harry had now stepped into the office to be met by questioning glares from Buffy and Giles. 

'Count us in.'

*


	3. The Cult

Dis: All the usual

A/N: Although many of you would like me to, I cannot say that no Slytherins were harmed in the making of this fic. Draco was being annoying, he deserved it! Read and review this anyway, please!

Dis: All the usual. I own nothing. I am a mere A-level student looking for some form of relaxation, not fortunes galore. So in essence, JKR owns the Harry Potter bits, Joss Whedon all the Buffy, and all I get at the end is anything you don't recognise. Oh, so hash.

****

Harry Potter and the Slayer

__

The cult

Of course there was as little chance of Giles changing Harry's mind as there was Snape giving Harry a box of chocolates on his birthday. So he resided to accepting their help and so the weekend was spent down in the library doing Hermione's favourite thing, researching. However now it would appear that she had a rival. 

'Can I have that one once you've finished?' asked Willow when Hermione was scanning the text contained within _Famous demonic events of the millennium_. Hermione looked at her suspiciously over the top of the volume.

'Why? I'm already checking it. Nothing.'

'Well, I just thought…'

'Well, you thought wrong then.'

Harry leaned over to Willow apologetically

'You'll have to ignore Hermione. I think the events of the past few days has thrown her belief system up in the air.'

'Easily threatened that one.' said Buffy, wandering over from the restricted section, 'Hey Willow, you'd love some of the stuff they've got over there. It's covered in blood and goo and stuff.'

Willow however was not as thrilled by that prospect as Buffy expected. 

'Sounds icky… I think I'll stick to levitating pencils, thanks.' Suddenly a thought crossed Harry's mind.

'How come you're able to do that sort of stuff if you're all muggle?'

This time Giles provided the answer.

'Well, non-magical humans, if they at least have the belief, can just about perform simple spells and enchantments.' He muttered from behind a pile of dusty books. 'Willow has both the intellect and knowledge. However she does need a little help at times…'

'Yeah,' said Willow with a smile, 'Chicken's feet, seances and all that. You lot can just pick up a wand and pow! You've got yourself a casserole. Must be great.'

Expecting a sarcastic comeback from Hermione, he turned to where she was sitting to be met by giggle. Xander was now showing her how to make paper aeroplanes. Ron tutted disapprovingly.

They spent three days like this before they came across anything that could help them. However it appeared to Harry that the Slayer and her friends were used to such a gruelling schedule. But on the afternoon of the third day, they had the most unwelcome of visitors.

'What's this Potter? Secret Homework club?'

Harry glanced up to see Draco Malfoy leering at him from the other side of his desk, his blond hair swept across the pale face, a little pink now from the cold of the castle. 

'I really wonder about you sometimes Potter,' he continued, sneering. 'I mean, why do you want to hang out with that excuse for a muggle…' he nodded at Giles. 'I've already written to my father. He may no longer be a governor but he still has the right contacts. I suppose you're just keeping with tradition, with that mudblood and the poor kid.'

Harry suppressed the anger that was boiling up in him. Buffy, however, stood up.

'Hey who - ' Malfoy began, but then changed the tone of his voice. 'Who is this gorgeous creature?'

Buffy didn't reply, but merely stared at Malfoy with a look of disgust on her face. But before he could begin the sweet talk, she'd got him in a head grip and flipped over, pinning him to the ground with his face even whiter with surprise.

'My name is Buffy Summers,' she said peering down at the cowering figure of Malfoy 'I'm the Slayer, and I suggest you get out of here.'

Malfoy got up, whimpering, and scuttled back out of the library and out of sight. Ron got up to congratulate Buffy.

'That was superb! Up there with the bouncing ferret incident. Wait 'til I tell the others, Malfoy getting his butt kicked by a girl…' 

However, Hermione was more concerned with the consequences of this little interruption, giving Ron a scowl that was so intense he dived back down his book with muster.

'I bet you anything that Malfoy is sitting in the Slytherin common room right now, gossiping with his cronies about his run in with the slayer,' Hermione looked a little panicky, 'And they'll want answers.'

'Got it!!!'

They all turned and stared at the sudden outburst from Ron, barely visible behind his particular pile of books. Harry ignored the fact that in the pile were hidden a few Quidditch tactic volumes and ran round to have a look.

'It's all here!' Ron cried, pointing excitedly at a column of print. 'The Agora cult comes every thousand years… blah blah blah… and has only been stopped once in a battle where only half those involved lost their lives. Hmm.'

'That's nice and reassuring.' Mumbled Xander. Giles took the book and continued to scan it.

'It appears our only hope is to take this thing head on,' said Giles, looking petrified, 'Just with a series of protection charms and… oh my…'

'What?' said Buffy, looking just as concerned.

'Well, there appears to be a ringleader which, once killed, the others will retreat. That's what must have happened 5,000 years ago. They must have staked him without realising.'

'Well, that's a little easy,' said Willow, relief spreading across her face. 'We take out the big boss guy.'

'But how do we tell who that one is?' said Hermione seriously. Harry stood up and looked her straight in the eye, strong as ever.

'Luck.'

The others looked disbelieving.

'And a little bit of potion mixing.'

*

Harry attempted to explain as they snuck into Snape's dungeon at midnight, all hidden under the invisibility cloak apart from Giles, who unluckily was on patrolling duty around the third floor corridors. He said he'd try to keep the dungeons clear for them to work undisturbed. It was much easier now they had a teacher on side, Harry thought as they crept down the stone stairs. On his previous escapades it seemed that everything conspired against them. Snape, Filch and Mrs Norris had an eye everywhere, guaranteed to turn up exactly when you least expected it. Despite the daunting and important task ahead of them, the need to keep it secret for now meant they couldn't risk interception.

'I discovered this little beauty when training for the third task,' he said, taking various bottles off the shelves behind Snape's desk. 'It's a vunerallis potion. Designed to show you the weakest point in the pack. But with a little adaptation I think it'll do the job.'

Hermione looked panic stricken at Harry's way of going about things.

'Hundreds of lives are at stake here and you're talking about guessing!' she squealed, raising her hands to the ceiling, 'You're mad!'

'There's nothing else we can do.' Muttered Harry, lighting a flame beneath his caldron. Buffy, however, had something to add.

'Erm… Harry… Not meaning to talk outta place here, but surely the ringleader will be the strongest point in this particular pack of cards and this excuse for a slim-fast milkshake won't have any effect on his bad Mojo.'

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

'Talk English.' She muttered

Willow took over the theory as Xander stood by the door, keeping watch.

'From what it says here…' she began, pacing up and down with a mouldy copy of _Moste Potente Potiones _'We need to make up the potion but use a binding ingredient to allow the gunk to show up the weakest link, even if it appears the strongest.'

'Right…' said Harry, now concentrating on grating the wolfsbane. 'But that's where the problem starts. Where in the whole of Hogsmeade are we gonna get the ingredient? It's a really rare form of…'

'Harry,' Hermione said quietly, handing him the crushed wormwood, 'We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.'

For a second, Harry was taken back by Hermione's calmness, normally so absent along with any form of plan. However he got the sense that she knew more than she was letting on.

They worked long into the night, as the potion was very complicated, there was enough work for all of them. They'd had a few scares when Mrs Norris pattered along outside, but apart from that they'd been lucky. But it had been quiet for a while; Xander now sitting at the base of the door, staring down the corridor with his eye lids drooping. Suddenly, he jerked up, awake and alert, as footsteps down the corridor grew closer. 

'Harry!' he said in a horse whisper, 'Someone's coming!'

But before they could move, the dark figure marched straight in and stepped into the moonlight…

'Angel!' breathed Buffy with relief, 'You had us worried for a second.'

Buffy and Angel continued to talk as Ron gradually shuffled into the corner of the dungeon, looking a little weary of the intruder. Hermione looked skyward and sighed.

'Ron, he's not going to bite your head off.'

Harry interrupted them all.

'That's it,' he exclaimed, throwing down his mortar defiantly, 'We can't do anything else. We need the binding ingredient. But where are we going to get some…

'Basilisk blood?' said Angel hopefully. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small vial Harry had found the night they first met. Harry took it with a shaking hand, remembering what it was like to be covered in the liquid, warm and oozing down his arm that night in the chamber of secrets so long ago, and shuddered at his lucky escape. Angel merely shrugged at the look of gratefulness that was plastered on Harry's face.

'How did you…' Ron began, but his words were now eaten up by the noise that was filling the chamber, a gathering wind round the caldron lit up by an eerie white glow. Harry had added the vital ingredient and the spells were now in the midst of binding. 

'Come on!' Harry yelled above the growing din, beckoning everyone to join him at the caldron's side.

The wind was now reaching gale like strength, causing Harry's already untidy black hair to sweep right across his face and glasses, desperately clinging onto his face for dear life. The others joined in the circle as Harry began a silent chant, his face tense in concentration. No one could hear, but Hermione watched him wide eyed as he muttered the ancient words without taking a breath, as if possessed by some other being, his eyes flashing furiously. Suddenly the light became blinding as the wind began to scream with all its fury, as if ready to blow the walls apart if contained.

Hermione heard herself scream, as if from outside herself, as she hit the floor and faded into the night.

*

When she awoke, some hours later, she found herself back in her bed in the Gryffindor tower, warm and safe. However, she dared not open her eyes as familiar voices came into hearing.

'Well, I think it's pretty safe to say that this is_ screwed_ up.'

'What happened Harry? Why was she chosen?'

'I honestly don't know…'

Hermione could sense it was the middle of the day, yet her room felt oddly dark. When she opened her eyes she saw why. Angel was at her bedside, her curtains drawn around her bed and Ron sitting close by, sweeping her hair out of her face with a soft fingertip. Harry sat at the foot of her bed, looking almost apologetic. Willow was there too, looking ghastly pale along with Xander, opting at this time not to jig around in his usual, excited or even half nervously manner. Buffy meanwhile, wanted to get down to business. 

'How d'you feel?' said Ron, his eyes lacking the sarcasm they normally hid behind. Hermione nodded faintly as she sipped the water Willow just handed her, Ron continuing to stroke her hair.

'I thought you were a gonner,' muttered Buffy, looking stern, but concerned. 'You collapsed on us. We managed to get you back up here but the potion…'

'It's gone.' Harry said quietly. 'Filch must have heard the commotion and seized the evidence. I found my empty caldron by the lake this morning.'

'Oh Harry…' Hermione began, her eyes stinging with tears. 'This is all my fault. What are we going to do now? That was our best hope of beating this thing…'

'Not quite.' said Angel, now throwing a dark cloak over himself before Xander let in the sunlight. It flooded the room like a river bursting its banks, while Angel scrambled into the remaining dark corner, smoking slightly.

'Angel, you really should go.' said Buffy, while Angel nodded simply and swept out of the room.

'Hermione, you know that potion was supposed to give us the ability to pick out the ringleader, bring him down along with the others?' said Giles, Now nervously pacing Hermione nodded.

'Well as I was saying,' muttered Xander, 'Muggins here went and screwed it all up.'

'I didn't!' screeched Harry, now standing to meet Xander's glare, 'I was just a little…er…'

'Chemically challenged?'

Harry ignored the last comment and continued the explanation.

'The blinding white light you saw was supposed to enter each of us, just for a second, to give us a base to absorb the ability in it's liquid form. Unfortunately…'

'Unfortunately it stuck with you.' Finished Ron, his eyes fully on Hermione, as if willing her to be all right.

'So…' she said, sitting up but aching all over. 'What does it mean?'

'It means you have the gift. You'll be able to pick out evil in its purest form, the central point at which a demon, vampire, dark wizard or whatever draws its energy.'

Hermione gulped at looked at her friends for reassurance.

'But for how long?'

'I don't know. I just don't know…' Harry said, his voice now breaking. 'I'm so sorry Hermione…'

However, Hermione was far from the defeatist type, She swung her legs round off the bed and strode across the room, searching for her robes.

'Well, this just means a bit of a change in plans,' she said, ignoring the fear that caused her voice to shake. 'Er…what was the plan anyway?'

'Me and Harry to after the big boss dude while you guys battle it out with his minions.' Buffy replied

'Nice.' said Xander, looking uneasy at the prospect.

'Cool!' said Willow, her eyes wide with delight, 'I'm sure you lot can teach me some whiz bang stuff which would allow me to kick some serious vampire booty!' 

'Yes. Ahem,' coughed Ron, exchanging a bemused smile with Harry, 'It'll be hard work, with you being muggles and all, but I don't see why we can't manage it. I think magic is catching around here.'

'That's settled then.' Buffy said, sharply before standing up. 'I'd better go and find Giles and explain…'

'Who you are and what you are doing at this school!'

It was Professor Snape. He was standing in the doorway, wand in hand, his eyes narrowed in obvious rage. He swept into the room and pointed his wand at Buffy accusingly, his gaze not lifting for a second.

'I do not like intruders. Explain yourself!'

For once, Buffy couldn't find the words. She looked completely dumbstruck. Even Xander was silent, no witty comeback for the potions teacher who had the power to turn him into a gulping goldfish there on the spot. His mouth just fell open and closed again at regular intervals. A bit like Ron, really, Harry thought despite the apparent tension in the circular room.

'Well, erm, first I think you'd better calm down…'

But Buffy soon changed her tack when she saw that Snape meant business.

'I bumped into your young friend Mr Malfoy at breakfast this morning, Potter,' he spat, not taking her eyes off Buffy for a second. 'And he said we have the Slayer in our midst. I presume you are just that.' 

Buffy just nodded.

'So I suppose that explains why my dungeon looks like a hurricane went through it!' Snape snarled.

'Well, actually…' Xander began before Hermione poked him in the back.

'I'll have to tell Dumbledore, you know that? I hope all of you are expelled! I'll see to it myself! You've got away with this sort of thing for too long Potter!'

Harry was on the verge of arguing back, his fists now white with a rage of his own.

'Come with me!' he growled, grabbing Harry by the scruff of his robes, still pointing his wand at a now worried looking Slayer. 'I'll be back with Dumbledore and we'll see what becomes of your little scooby gang!'

He dragged Harry back out of the room and down the stairs of the Gryffindor tower, Buffy and her group exchanging bemused but desperate looks behind. Harry's feet clanked with each step as he and Snape descended down the Tower. He must be really peeved, Harry thought as the blisters began to form on his heels. Yet Harry was sure… no, positive that he'd left the place immaculate. But in the aftermath of that thing, he wasn't surprised he'd left one clue to his identity. Not that Snape needed one…

He felt himself being dragged back through the portrait hole but instead of heading back up the stairs to Dumbledore's office, Snape pulled him into an empty classroom and slammed the door shut. Harry felt for his wand in the pocket of his robe. He wouldn't put anything past that slimeball.

'Now Potter…' Snape began, almost smiling in a mischievous way. 'I know your little secret. I know how you manage to sneak out every night right under our noses. I'd just like to see you try without it for once.'

At this point Snape reached into his pocket and Harry tightened his grip on the sleek polished wand. But instead Snape just gleamed as something silvery and floating slid onto the floor. Harry gasped.

'Your beloved Father's invisibility cloak.' Snape spat out, the words like poison in his mouth. 'Of course a truly great wizard would not need such a children's toy.'

Harry took his chances and made a grab for his most treasured possession. Where had Snape got it? He'd used it, just the night before, wrapping the cold, clammy body of Hermione in it and brought her back to the safety of the Gryffindor tower. Unless…

'You stole that from my room!' Harry cried, now pointing his wand at Snape. 'What the hell were you doing in there?'

'Now, now Mr Potter,' he muttered, looking at the weapon disapprovingly, 'You don't want to be doing that. Tell me what you're up to and I might consider handing it over.'

Harry lowered his arm, but his eyes remained on Snape, flashing furiously at the simple ignorance of his professor.

'You don't understand…'

'Ah, but I do Harry,' Snape began, fingering the cloth of the cloak with a bony hand. 'Like father like son. Always out to make trouble. Always out to be the hero. Not this time…'

'Serveus!'

Harry spun round at the sound of Giles' voice as he saw him standing at the doorway, hand outstretched expectantly. Realising he'd been caught out, Snape threw the cloak at Harry in disgust.

'I know you're up to something. I know it. You won't rest until this school is in ruins.'

He swept out the door past a disgruntled Giles, who said nothing but clearly understood. He stroked the cloak laying in Harry's arms silently and disappeared up the corridor towards the Gryffindor tower. Harry merely stood there in silence, calm and peaceful for the first time in days, until the footsteps finally faded away into the darkness of the school.

They had two weeks. Two weeks to try and hide Buffy and prey that Snape kept his slippery mouth shut. Two weeks to train everyone up to kick some 'vampire booty' as Willow fondly put it. They'd adopted an unused History of Magic classroom as their base, tucked in some forgotten corner of the castle. Even though in the past they hadn't known specifically what they were up against, Harry thought that this time the task, however, appeared just as daunting. Hermione tried to teach Willow a few basic vampire repelling charms, and it appeared that she took Willow's early success as a personal insult. If looks could kill, thought Harry as Willow perfected the banishing charm.

'You do know Willow…' said Giles as Buffy hit his pads with another high kick, 'The likelihood of you maintaining these abilities once we leave Hogwarts is, unfortunately, minimal.'

The look of disappointment of Willow's face was hard to avoid, making Harry squirm with guilt for getting her hopes up. However Hermione remained stone-faced, trying to conceal a small smile.

'It's the magic, you see,' she said, as if it was perfectly obvious, 'It's so strong here that even the worst of muggles catch a bit. A little like a cold, I suppose.' Now she grinned as she glanced over at Xander, who was levitating a pencil over Ron's head, oblivious.

'Oww!' yelled the redhead as the point came crashing down, nearly poking his eye out.

It was hard work. While Willow, Xander and Buffy were about to focus their all on the impending armageddon, Harry, Ron and Hermione still had lessons to attend, which were getting far more difficult and complex in the run up to their NEWTs. Under the piles of Divination charts, Arithmacy tables and a concoction that appeared to have a very negative effect upon Trevor the toad, Halloween had crept up on them. As least Giles seemed to take note of the extra strain they were under, a few knowing smiles in a Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, often the highlight of an otherwise gloomy day. He had informed them that the strike was unlikely to occur until the feast in the evening, when everyone was gathered in the great hall and the impact would be at its most hideous.

'Great stuff.' said Ron with his usual level of sarcasm.

'Maximum impact, I like that.' replied Xander.

As Harry got to bed the night before Halloween, he pulled the curtains around him closed and stayed up for a while, just thinking. Giles had said to get as much sleep as possible, but after six years of facing this sort of thing, Harry had got used to the drill. He flopped back upon his cosy, red quilt and stared up at the scarlet canopy, wondering not for the first time in his short life whether he'd live to see it another day. He thought about his roommates, Neville, Seamus and Dean, whose muffled snores and grunts he'd often found a comfort in his years at Hogwarts, and whether they'd live to see it with him. He moved across his bed and looked out into the room and smiled weakly. This was his family. This was his home. As much as Dumbledore had wanted him to stay at the Dursleys, especially in the years since Voldemort's return, this was were he belonged. And he wouldn't give it up without a fight.

'Mind if I join you?'

Harry jumped at the sound of Buffy, who now appeared in the corner of the room. Even she looked pale now; tired from the strain that Giles had put her under. As Harry nodded and Buffy perched at the foot of his bed, he wondered why she was here. Why was she fighting a battle that wasn't even hers? He often asked himself the same question.

'You can't sleep either?' she whispered, so not to wake the others.

'No.' Harry muttered in reply, looking down into his laps. 'I have bad dreams.'

He didn't even now why he had said that. He only told Ron and Hermione of the really bad ones. The dreams about Voldemort. Not the nightmares that plagued him so regularly that he'd forgotten what is was not to wake up in a cold sweat.

Buffy gave him a weak smile through the darkness and a mutual understanding passed between them.

'Do you remember your parents?'

'Sorry?'

Harry hadn't been expecting that one. He shifted uncomfortably and Buffy realised her mistake

'Look, I'm sorry I…'

'No, it's OK.' Harry sighed. 'I remember a little. Mainly through the dementors, you know, they feed on hope and happiness, leaving you with the worst experiences of your life. When Voldemort came for them, my dad tried to fight. I don't know much about him, but I've heard his voice. I hear it everyday.'

At this point Harry swallowed as a lump began to form in his throat. Yet he continued. 

'He died in the fight, and Voldemort turned his wand on me. My mum was screaming…All I can hear is her screaming with terror, begging Voldemort to take her and leave me. I remember a green light and my forehead burning, and…and…'

Harry found himself unable to look Buffy in the eye. He'd never told anybody, let alone a complete stranger, a muggle. The others only knew in parts. He was unable to prevent a solitary tear running down his cheek.

'Have you ever met this guy?'

'Voldemort?' Harry asked, 'Yeah. He's come so close to killing me so many times it's a wonder I'm not a gibbering wreak. My blood resurrected him. Me being alive is his force, his drive, his mission. Sometimes it seems I'm the only thing preventing his take-over. For him, I either become his ally or I die. I'm his Achilles heel. As long as I live, people will know that he's not invincible and that's something he simply cannot live with.' Harry sighed, a world's responsibilities settling on his shoulders.

They said nothing for a long time. Both just staring at their feet in the silence of the castle at peace.

'Do you dream about your parents?' Buffy eventually whispered.

'Sometimes.' Harry smiled for the first time in days, 'I'd like to think they're happy.'

Buffy smiled back weakly, the strain of it all obviously getting to her. However it was Harry's turn to ask the questions.

'Buffy, why did you come here?' he said, as if afraid to let the fatal words past his lips. 

Buffy sighed a sigh that sounded like it had been waiting to escape for a long time.

'Honestly… I needed to get away. I needed to be somewhere that wasn't Sunnydale.' Now it was her turn to look on the verge of tears. 'Too much bad karma.'

Harry didn't feel the urge to delve further, but something about his meeting had made the pair of them open up like never before.

'You know about ascensions, right?' she asked timidly. Harry nodded. 'Well, I've seen one. I lived through one. It dominated my life. My every waking moment from the time we discovered it was dedicated to stopping the ascension. I had no life. '

For the fist time since arriving, Buffy's strength was failing her. She now looked like a tired young girl who had seen the worst of the world yet was aware that more was to come. She sighed.

'Being a slayer means so much. It costs so much. But the ascension seemed to cost so much more. Friends, family… and…'

'Angel?'

Buffy nodded but looked slightly surprised.

'I guessed.' Harry said simply. Buffy continued.

'He left after the ascension. He lives in LA now, running a kind of detective agency dealing with the yucky stuff. We agreed it was for the best.' She wiped a tear away. 'But since then there's been nothing. Slaying at times is almost therapeutic; it proves that I can still be alive, that I'm still me. Coming here is part of that. We heard Giles was sent by the council to prevent this thing and I had to come. I just had to. He means too much to me to let him see this one through alone.'

'Were you expecting Angel?'

'No, not at all. His link to 'the powers that be' is certainly unpredictable. But it doesn't change things. We live in different worlds. He can no longer protect me. No more high school. No more scooby gang. It's moved on.'

Silence took them over again, both seemingly aware of the necessity of their existence in their own worlds despite the unforgiving responsibilities it awarded them. It seemed like they'd been there for hours when Buffy finally got up. It was nearly dawn, the sky outside the window was turning from midnight blue to a brilliant orange, as if the world was alight with the power of the oncoming sun. Buffy stood, framed as a silhouette against its brilliance. Harry looked up at this girl and finally felt that someone understood.

'Look Harry, if we don't…you know…'

'You don't have to say it.'

'I'd just like you to know that, well, you do yourself a lot of credit. Most of the people I've met who aren't nearly as vital as you can't cope with it all.' She almost laughed. 'God knows I can't. You're a good man Harry. You're destined for big things. Don't let any of this change that.' 

She finally walked away and slid silently out of the door, creaking it shut behind her. The first cock crowed.

*


	4. The Battle

Dis: I don't own this, J

A/N: And the fic keeps rolling in and out… things are getting pretty dramatic now, aren't they? Aw well. Please review if you're enjoying this and feel free to yell at me if you're not! Bear in mind yet again that I'm a passing fan of Buffy so I'm bound to get a few things wrong. My bad, honest!

Dis: I don't own this, J.K Rowling and Josh Weldon do! If they don't, then, well, it's all owned by someone out there who probably isn't me. But I own all the bits that you don't recognise as anybody else's. Ner.

****

Harry Potter and the Slayer

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The Battle

The highlight for many on that fatal Halloween was the weekend visit to Hogsmeade. The small, wizarding village was great fun all year round, but at Halloween it seemed to hold an extra magic of its own. Despite Giles' best protests, the need to relax and forget the impending test of the evening activities overtook Harry. So under the invisibility cloak he smuggled Buffy, Willow and Xander out of the castle and met up with Ron and Hermione in The Three Broomsticks.

While Ron took the orders, Harry and the gang found the most darkened corner of the pub and settled down for a quiet afternoon. Xander was still being wide-eyed and occasionally glancing over his shoulder, as if unsure of being in such a public place. Hermione leaned forward and whispered something in his ear which made him giggle and go as red as a beetroot. Ron looked furious. He slammed the drinks down, deliberately spilling Xander's and sat down next to Harry, taking a long gulp of the warming Butterbeer. 

'Is this alcoholic?' said Willow, looking at the tanker Ron had presented her as if it were laced with poison, 'You know, strictly we're underage and…'

'Don't worry about it,' said Ron, taking a swig 'You'd have to be a house elf to even get tipsy on twenty of these. Ah, that's better.'

Willow still looked uncertain, but drunk it anyway. The others hadn't taken any notice of Harry and Buffy, now quietly glancing at each other at the far side of the table. Harry had felt at times that the vampire invasion was almost a practise run for the inevitable confrontation with Voldemort, and so required his full attention. Buffy obviously felt they were in the same boat. He found it wonderfully odd that this girl seemed to know so much about what is was like to be him. The silence seemed to confirm this mutual acknowledgement. 

The afternoon passed away quickly and quietly, and before they knew it the gang were heading back to the castle for the feast. Harry's nerves settled in his chest heavily as he changed into more respectable robes, such as those with ample space for storing stakes and weaponry. They had agreed to meet Giles in his office fifteen minutes before the celebrations began to go over the plan. Ron, whose normally rosy cheeks were now pale with worry, seemed to share Harry's apprehensive mood as he followed him and Hermione out of the portrait hole towards Giles' office. Harry was even sure that he saw Ron place one hand on Hermione's shoulder for encouragement and comfort. 

'Right,' said Giles when they finally reached his dimly lit extension of the library. 'I figured if we go down together and, er, cause the distraction to get everyone out, before sunset. They can only strike after sunset.'

He paused when Buffy, who was there with Willow and Xander, gave him a despairing look, half-smiling.

'Well, I suppose that's obvious.'

They went over the plan to secure final details. Harry was however still apprehensive. He'd never gone into something so prepared, so ready and knowledgeable. Yet normally this was far from the case. He wasn't one for studies: He wasn't like Hermione. He acted on instinct, he survived on it. It had helped him so far, and he would swear on his Godfather's innocence that he'd need it once again. 

A nervous feeling began to move down into his stomach as he bid farewell to Hermione at the door of the great hall. She looked ghostly white when he took his seat at the Gryffindor table, Ron hanging back to speak to her before the plan prevented any more idle chit-chat. The sky outside had begun it's descent into the evening red, giving everything in the hall an illuminated orange glow that was reflected in the warmth of it's reception, the faces of the Hogwarts pupils revelling in the delightful feast that awaited them. Unaware. He waited.

Ten Minutes.

Ron had now joined him at the table, ignoring his sister's nagging about his pale looking complexion. Ron glared at Ginny, the red-headed girl take back by her brother's silent outburst, turning back to her friends muttering in puzzlement. The strain was obviously getting to him. More than previously, Harry noted, as Ron continued their subdued conversation with one eye on the door, watching for the plan to unfold. He was worried. 

Five minutes.

The time frame they had was short. Everyone had to be out of the great hall with at least ten minutes to spare, to round up the unknowing stragglers into their appropriate common rooms and for them to be joined by their teachers. With this distraction, they wouldn't want to be anywhere else. 

One minute.

A silence fell over the both of them, both clutching their wand, waiting for the signal to come.

Which was now.

The door of the great hall flew open, the breeze coming through enough to catch anyone's attention, as if the Cornish pixies didn't see to that first. The hundred or so elves that Hermione had cleverly rounded up from the forbidden forest streaked into the room, blue bolts of lightning flying everywhere in an instant. Their high pitched squealing were piercing to the ears and currently in direct competition with the screams and yells of the student body, now diving under whatever they could find to hide themselves from the furious onslaught of the innocence trouble makers. Pumpkin juice was flying everywhere, banners ripped down, tableware flung across the room, showering the great hall in a stream of silver with the destructive force of a small tropical storm. Harry could barely hear the yells of Professor McGonagall over the ever rising din.

'Please, calm down!' she bellowed as a Cornish pixie stole her hat and ripped it to shreds. 'Hurry back to your common rooms! Now!'

The students didn't need telling twice. The scramble for the door was immediate, Harry and Ron almost being crushed in the rush. The teachers herded up the pupils like a shepherd to sheep, holding back the rampaging pixies with whatever they could lay their hands on. Filch stood on the threshold of the hall, fuming at the war zone he'd have to spend half the night cleaning. This was their chance. With a quick glance around them, Harry and Ron squeezed through the panicking crowd and managed to dash into a not much used classroom. Harry could see the sky darkening out the window as he breathed, deep and heavily, leaning back against the wall and out of view of the passing Ravenclaws. Suddenly he heard a voice, which made him draw breath sharply and hold it, eyes wide and fearful. 

'We'll just have to leave them to it, Argus,' Harry could here Giles say to Filch as they passed the door. 'Let them get it out of their system. The front door is open, they'll go back to the forest soon enough.'

Filch could be heard to mumble some form of insult under his breath as he stalked off down the corridor in search of Mrs Norris. 

He was just about to let out a minimal sigh of relief when a shuffle from a few desks away made his heart pang in his chest, the blood coming to a halt in his veins. 

'Who's that?' he hissed into the twilight.

'It's only me…' replied the voice. Hermione stepped out of the shadows, one eyebrow raised. 'I came in here after the pixies went berserk. I certainly didn't want to get caught up in that.' 

Ron, somehow, managed a small smile for her, looking down at his now tattered robes. 

'So, what's the beef?'

They spun round as Xander sneaked into the room, followed closely by Willow and Buffy who emerged from under the invisibility cloak, which was promptly handed back to Harry. 

'Can I have the mail order catalogue for that?' Willow asked, jokingly.

'Marauder's clothing emporium' Harry laughed back.

But the time for laughter was at an end. They had all realised that. All they could do was go to the hall and wait for sunset. And that was exactly what they did.

It was like waiting for your worst nightmare to come true. Although the ten-minute gap was a little over pessimistic, still they waited for the attack. Hermione in particular was nervous, pacing the length of the great hall periodically. She expected to feel different somehow. But nothing. What if the potion hadn't worked? What if she'd just hadn't had enough fluids or something? She could see Harry thinking the same thing, Buffy looking at her more suspiciously by the second, Ron remaining expressionless, but staring at Hermione, consumed in his own thoughts. However, she was now far more understanding of Harry's plight. The demands, the constant expectation. The looks, the stares. And she hated every minute of it. 

The strain was obviously showing. Ron came over to her at her current position on the steps of the staff platform. The room still looked like a war zone, but the pixies had soon got bored and sneaked back to the security of their wooden haven. They'd certainly left their mark, the tablecloths now stained orange by the spilt pumpkin juice jugs, tables smeared with the remainder of the first course, the second currently being served in the safety of the common rooms. Ron sat down beside her and stared at the floor intensely, as if afraid to look her in the eye.

Hermione was glad he was there. He didn't need to say anything. She just appreciated the company. He'd just inched a little closer to her when a crashing sound, like a clap of lightning, thundered through the timbers of the castle. Hermione jerked. 

She leaped to her feet and turned on her heel, straight towards the side door of the hall. Buffy stood up and followed in hot pursuit. She grabbed Hermione's shoulder as she reached for the door handle. She spun round to face the slayer, her eyes flashing, as if everything had suddenly made sense.

'The tower…' she stuttered suddenly, 'They're in the tower…'

And with that she disappeared.

Harry couldn't think straight. He had to go after her. He sprinted out the door, past a rather baffled Buffy and sped up the corridor as he saw her begin to ascend the stairs of the astronomy tower. 

'Hermione! Wait!' he cried desperately, 'You don't know what's up there!'

He finally reached her halfway up the tower, but barely had a chance to utter a word. Out of nowhere he felt something large and heavy hit the back of his head, taking him by surprise. He could hear Hermione screaming as whatever was attacking him struck another blow, but this time he was able to see his attacker as his vision finally cleared. The man was nothing like Harry had ever seen. His eyes were merely slits under a heavily furrowed brow, flashing an evil shade of green as he growled, baring his sharpened teeth as he glared at the crumpled figure of Harry, before, grabbing Hermione and dragging her back down the stairs. A vampire.

Harry pulled out his stake - one that Buffy had lent him, affectionately called Mr Pointy - and began to follow. He could feel his pulse racing as he crept down the silent corridor, wondering where everyone else was. Vampire or otherwise. Hermione had obviously sensed the source of the attack, but why was there only that one? Was he the ringleader? His thoughts however, were interrupted by a piercing scream that echoed down the corridor to his left, causing him to turn sharply and leap into the darkness of the hall. 

He muttered 'Lumos' and the scene was soon illuminated. The vampire, his face twisted and turned, had hold of Hermione, struggling desperately to reach her wand before he bared his fangs to strike…

'Hey, tough guy!'

All the vampire could do was turn before Buffy thrusted her stake through his chest, dusting him, his faint outline fading into oblivion. Hermione, a little shocked, was not undeterred. 

'Er… thanks.'

'No problem,' said Buffy, as casual as if she'd passed the breadbasket at Dinner. 'Where's the rest of these dudes? That wasn't much of an attack now was it?'

They heard the patter of running feet as Ron, Xander and Willow joined them, a little out of breath. Hermione's eyes widened over Xander's shoulder, who now turned and followed her gaze.

'Quick answer to that one.'

A group of twenty or so vamps were now out in force, but they were ready. Soon the six of them were enveloped in a flurry of dustings and fists, Harry finding his natural speed and agility a great advantage. The combination of the magical talents of the Hogwarts three with the experience of the Californian crew saw the situation right itself, at one point Hermione dusting a vamp that somehow reminded her of Pansy Parkinson as it pounced upon an unsuspecting Ron, who blushed at the embarrassment of Hermione yet again saving his bacon. As Xander staked the last vamp, much to his personal satisfaction, he surveyed the scene of dust and sparks with a smug grin on his face.

'Certainly not the traditional method,' he said, glancing form Buffy with her stake and Harry with his wand, 'But it definitely brings a sparkle to the proceedings.'

'We can't waste anymore time Xander,' said Willow, a pang of desperation in her voice, 'We need to get moving.'

'She's right,' instructed Buffy, now turning to Ron who was being helped to his feet by a ruffled looking Hermione, 'we need to split. You lot go and find Giles. We need to get the big boss dude.'

'Will you be all right?' Hermione muttered softly to Ron

Ron just smiled at this showing of genuine anxiety and nodded his head. He spoke in a silent whisper. 

'Will you?'

Hermione couldn't answer. Instead she took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before following Buffy and Harry up the corridor, turning round for once last glance before they rounded the corner. It was now down to her. 

The others could be heard to head down towards the Defence against the Dark arts corridor, the location of Giles' office, as their own small pack crept in the opposite direction, occasionally glancing at each other for guidance. Harry knew the school, Buffy knew the slaying, but it was Hermione who became the source of hope. Yet she still didn't know what to expect. Before, she was acting on instinct, a rare occurrence in such a normally sensible individual, but it felt no different. She was afraid of leading the people she cared about most in the world up the creek without the paddle, simply because for the first time in her life she was steering. She sensed that Harry could hold his own – He'd faced much worse than this in his short life, much worse than she'd ever want to wish on anyone. But Ron was different. He was – dare she say it - vulnerable. She found herself more concerned for him than her own well being. Harry had obviously read her mind.

'He'll be fine.' He said, Hermione not easily making out the twinkling green eyes in the darkness. 'He's a fighter. He'll treat any danger like those bludgers on the Quidditch pitch.' He smiled at the thought. 'No prisoners.'

However, Hermione's minute of reassurance was soon send up in flames by a pain so sharp and sudden that his made her collapse to her knees, her eyes watering in agony. The sense. It had taken it's hold, temporarily blinding her as pure evil came into detecting range, like a battle-cruiser into radar, with the same menacing presence. Buffy rushed to her aid with sudden unexpected compassion, and pulled her to her feet.

'Where?' she demanded.

Hermione felt a shiver go down her spine as she composed herself and led the group towards the divination tower, somewhere she hadn't entered since her little outburst in their third year. She'd never believed in that stuff anyway. But now she could feel the source, it was as if it was drawing her in, invading her bones and making them move involuntarily towards their fate. It was at the base of the tower that it happened.

'Look out!'

The vampires had now truly descended. Even Buffy looked a little freaked as she desperately tried to fight her way out of the corner, some vampires taking the hint and running off down the corridor. Hermione, casting a freezing spell at one individual before she applied a useful decapitating hex to him, kept looking around in vain for the ringleader. She may have already seen him. She had no way of knowing. The spell Harry had used, although appearing a blessing, was unheard of in the form she had absorbed it. She muttered a silent prayer as she returned to the fray.

Buffy was back on the job. She was dusting vampires left, right and centre as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Her hair, tied high back on her head, swung round after her as she launched into another attack, her victim instantly knocked backward at the force of her blow. He attempted to swipe at her feet, Buffy jumping the target effortlessly as she delivered an upper cut to his face, hard enough to kill a normal man and another that would have crackled a jaw. The vampire finally gave in as Buffy now staked his unconscious form. 

Harry, meanwhile, was doing some serious slaying. He was able to block and easily avoid the clumsy throws of the vamps, although his aim with the stake was at times a little precarious. At one point, he almost speared the picture of Sir Calgeon on the wall, who had looked instantly horrified and so galloped out of sight towards the location of the Fat Lady. Harry meanwhile went straight for one vamp with a roundhouse kick that even surprised himself, allowing it to be dazed enough for Hermione to finish it off. However, the crowd seemed to be growing, and sop they only had one real option.

'Run for it!' 

Harry and Hermione didn't need telling twice. They followed Buffy, now pelting it down the corridor towards the ruined great hall with the chasing pack, enticed by the only available blood in the passage. Harry could hear the crashing of armour and the ripping of tapestries in their wake, making his nerves jangle more so as his speed increased, knowing he'd have to face the angry mob. 

They dashed into the hall, a clear 20 metres in front of the pack, to see Ron, Xander, Willow and Giles ready, instruments raised. The battle now really began. All they really had to do was stay alive long enough for Hermione to pick out the ringleader. And that wouldn't be any easy feat.

Everyone was locked in their own individual battles. Hermione, taking the liberty of placing locking charms on all entrances, was trying to keep out of trouble, her eyes ever watchful for the centre of the commotion. 

'Repelliamus!' she screeched as one vamp came too close for comfort, sending him into a stone pillar that held up the magnificent ceiling, knocking him out cold. However, she failed to notice the particularly ugly individual who went ahead and grabbed her round the throat, his grip tightening as she struggled against the taker of her breath. She gasped as she felt a hand cover her mouth, muffling her cry for help. But that wasn't necessary – Ron was already on the case, jumping on the attacker's back, forcing him to release Hermione as he took him on one to one. Hermione regained her balance, dizzy from the lack of breath, to see Ron overcome with a rage she'd never witnessed, as if the vampire had violated his most precious possession and would therefore pay dearly. He picked up one of the torches that lit up the great hall and made a swipe for the vampire - he screamed with agony as the fire burnt his face - who staggered backwards onto the outstretched stake of Xander, instantly ending his reign of terror. 

'That's what I love about this job…' he said smugly, 'teamwork.'

Willow, normally keen to leave the fighting to her friend when back in Sunnydale, was having what could almost be described as the time of her life. She found the power she had at the end of her fingertips astonishing, now able to manoeuvre her weapons with a swish of a wand. (bribed away from an unknowing first year earlier that day.) Nevertheless , the look on her face as she finished one vamp off who'd accidentally lost her arm in the proceedings was unmissable.

'Eww,' she squealed, wiping her hands on her now tattered jeans. 'Vampire goo.'

The fun and the games however, were soon to be over. As Harry battled his way across the hall to reach Hermione, chucking Giles a crossbow to save him from a pouncing vampire in close proximity, he heard Hermione gasp. She'd spotted him.

The feeling that had spread through her body was horrible – she felt like she'd swallowed a bottle of skelegrow in a cocktail with some polyjuice potion and some dodgy drink from the southern med. All warmth had seeped out of her as he came into view, heavily protected behind a shield of tougher looking vamps towards the centre of the hall, not bothered by the decimation that surrounded him. Harry had hurried over to Hermione's position behind the staff table and surveyed the scene: Once joined by Buffy, planned to strike. However, a yell of annoyance overrode the general grunts of battle caused everyone to stop dead in their tracks.

One vampire had pinned Willow to the wall with one hand, holding her borrowed wand in the other. He sniffed the air around her, the expression on his face portraying one of disgust and disappointment. 

'She's a muggle!' He declared to his friends, throwing her weakened frame to the floor. 'No use for anything. We want the genuine article.'

This distraction had now been fatal to the gang, who were promptly taken by surprise and restrained, though it took five of them to constrain a determined Buffy, struggling against the strength of four of the ringleader's biggest bodyguards. The crowd parted as they were all slung at the feet of the ringleader, the pain in Hermione's chest now threatening to burst it open as she met his menacing glare.

'What do we have here?' he whispered, looking at the sight of the magnificent seven at his feet. 'Muggles at Hogwarts? I don't think Dumbledore would like that. I must mention that to him just before I suck him dry.'

Harry struggled against his restraints, angered by such a suggestion. Buffy decided to speak.

'I don't think you know exactly what you're up against, mister.' 

Her ability to reject any form of authority never failed to amaze, whatever the circumstances. 

'And who are you to say that?'

'The slayer.'

There was a murmuring in the crowd, an answer that obviously solved a lot of their queries. However, the ringleader held up his hand to command silence from his minions. 

'Well, we'll just have to get rid of you and your friends now, won't we? Aw, this will be the icing on the cake. The wizard school drained, the slayer gone. It's as if my birthday came early.'

And with this he made a grab for Ron, too shocked to react, became numb as the ringleader stroked his pale, exposed neck, Ron now trembling and looking desperately from Harry to Hermione as his eyes began to fill with tears. The ringleader inhaled deeply.

'A wizard… hmm… that's interesting…' he muttered, running a white fingertip up and down Ron's neck. 'Well, I'll start as I mean to go on…'

However, as he bent down to pierce Ron's throat, he was interrupted by Hermione's scream of desperation as she finally broke out and threw herself at the ringleader's feet, exhausted by the effort. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and pleading for him to spare Ron's life. He paused.

Fatally.

At that point he let go of Ron and let out an almighty scream, louder and sharper than anything Harry had ever heard. He turned to Buffy, whose eyes widened at the events that were unfolding beyond her control. Although the restraints had now been forgotten, she found herself locked to the spot, unable to react at what fate had handed them.

The ringleader continued to scream, and Giles, now picking up his smashed and shattered glasses from the ground next to him, polished them and returned them to his face to greet the most welcomed sight in the world.

The ringleader was dying. He screamed with pain as his feet caught alight, the flames soon consuming his grotesque form as the ray of sunlight, coming from the dawn on the enchanted ceiling, moved up his body until, like a spotlight, it illuminated his face, now screwed up in pain and surprise. The smoke soon produced a haze round him as he withered on the spot, unable to move out of the beam of light that rooted him to the spot. He let out a final howl of pain before he began to disintegrate into dust on the cold, stone floor of the great hall at Hogwarts.

There seemed to almost be a delay. The ringleader, now merely a pile of ashes in the centre of his minions, could no longer guide them, so they stared in dismay at where he once stood. However, Buffy stood up and almost laughed.

'Time's up guys.'

The suddenly, one by one, the vampire disintegrated, their howls echoed right up to the enchanted ceiling, deflecting off the walls and amplifying in it's wake. As one made a last desperate swipe at Buffy, she dodged him and impaled him upon her stake, unable to stop the satisfied smile from taking over her face as he was finally dusted. The room began to rumble with the effort of the explosions, a domino effect of the death of their master. Giles was only just able to dive under the staff table with Harry, Xander, Buffy and Willow in time, as the screams reached breaking point. The suddenly, suddenly, it fell silent.

*


	5. The Resolution

Dis: I own nowt

A/N: Last part people! Whoo hoo! Hope you've been enjoying this enough to review or hate it enough to flame me. Come on, I dare you! Mwahahahaha! Just to remind you that I'm more of a Potterhead than a buff buff so I apologise for any inaccuracies. Onwards!

Dis: I don't lay claim to Harry Potter (JKR's) or Buffy and her gang (Joss Whedon). But all I did was own the bits that nobody recognises as anybody elses, if that makes sense. Probably not. Just read the fic anyway!

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Harry Potter and the Slayer

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The Resolution

Ron sat up, dazed, and surveyed the scene. The vampire's entrance back to the hell they'd come from had taken the destruction of the Cornish pixies with them, the great hall now sparkling with all it's splendour in the new dawn. Even renewed. He struggled to sit up with the added weight of Hermione, who he'd dragged away from the scene at it's climactic moment out of harms way, who still had her eyes firmly shut and clutched his sleeve like a small, defenceless child.

'Hermione…' he whispered into her sweet smelling hair, 'It's OK… you're safe.'

She slowly opened her eyes and her gaze met Ron's, the breath catching in his throat for an instant. He hugged her tightly to his chest, feeling her breath against his own heart, now beating madly in his chest.

'We're gonna be all right.' He muttered. She looked at him again with those large brown eyes.

'I know.'

They were soon joined by the others, making their way across the room in awe, the daylight making everything sparkle with an added brilliance. They stood in silence for a while, unable to comment. Then something made Harry look at his muggle watch. He frowned.

'What's the matter?' said Willow as Harry glanced back at his watch, confused. 'Batteries run out?'

'No…' Harry began, watching the hands move round intently for a minute. 

Harry's non-committal had begun to irritate Buffy, who grabbed his arm to examine the evidence. She gasped.

'Why, it's…'

'Midnight.' Harry finished finally. He looked up to meet his friend's puzzled glances as Buffy dropped his arm. 'Twelve midnight in the middle of winter. And the sun is up. I can't explain that one, but…'

'I think I can do that for you Harry.'

The voice made him spin round on his heel. A familiar shape was emerging into the light. He gasped.

'Dumbledore?'

The old man's eyes twinkled at the sound of his own name. He surveyed the room, almost satisfied, and sighed contentedly.

'You've done a good job cleaning up here, Rupert,' he said, addressing a now sheepish-looking Giles. 'Argus will be pleased. He's just been in my office for an hour, winging about the mischief those darn pixies cause. There's a good reason why they remain in the forest, Miss Granger.' 

Now it was Hermione's turn to look sheepish. Ron squeezed her hand.

'And also a reason why we don't use locking charms very often. I was here only just in time.'

Harry just stared at the professor, still mystified.

'But Professor…' he began 'How did you…'

But Dumbledore wasn't listening. He had walked over to where Buffy was standing with Willow and Xander, and now took her hand, shaking it firmly. Buffy stood there, dumbfounded.

'The slayer, I presume?' he said, smiling, 'It's an honour to meet you at last. I must admit, I was sceptical when Professor Snape informed me of Malfoy's little tale, but now I can see his point. Now tell me your name, dear?'

'Buffy, Buffy Summers.' she muttered. 

'Charmed to meet you. You and your friends are welcome back here anytime, especially in light of your bravery tonight. And Willow, I'm surprised the American bureau didn't pick up on you earlier. I'll have to send them an owl. You and your friend Xander did well.'

Willow didn't know what to look more surprised at: Dumbledore already knowing her name or what exactly he was implying. However, Harry still wanted answers.

'Professor…'

'Yes Harry, I will explain, I'm sorry.' Everyone looked at him expectantly. He commenced his version of events. 'I have had my suspicions for some time. As I told you all those years ago, I do not need a cloak to be invisible.' Harry blushed slightly, remembering his unexpected meeting with his headmaster in front of the mirror of the erised back in his first year. 'I knew of the cult. I thought, among many of my colleagues, that it was just a myth. This is Hogwart's first attack. It was something that happened in distant lands, in small village communities of wizards, isolated from the outside world. That is why you had so much trouble researching it. There are few records as few have survived. Nevertheless, as soon as I received the council's owl about Mr Giles' placement, my suspicions were aroused. I dismissed them as an old man's senile imagination.

'Anyway, it wasn't until you lot went sneaking round the corridors at night that I began to investigate. That is a telltale sign. You need to learn to cover your tracks more effectively if you're planning to be an Auror. And in combination to the wild rantings of the Potions professor, I put two and two together and came up with five. Something was certainly odd.

'But it was tonight that it came to me exactly what you were doing. The missing ingredients, the elves, your obvious absence in the Gryffindor tower. I didn't know how you'd cope, so I came to help. The problem with being surrounded by evil is that it can drain us magic folk without the use of fangs. You would need my help.'

'So it was you that…'

'Brought about the dawn. It was the last resort. I overrode the enchantment on the ceiling with great difficulty. I was almost too late. But we were lucky, this time. Now, I suggest we all get to bed. I'm very tired and I certainly don't want to miss the look on Mr Filch's face when he sees all this. He may always be moaning, but he is rather fond of his silver polish.'

They all laughed and made their way out of the hall.

*

The next day dawned clear and bright. It was one of those classic winter days that Harry loved with a passion. Although no snow, the grass on the lawns was covered with a thin layer of frozen dew, making it crackle underfoot as the light breeze ruffled his hair on the approach to the lake, where he joined Ron and Hermione in bidding Buffy goodbye. At breakfast, Professor Dumbledore had explained their adventures to the rest of the student body, causing many eruptions of cheers for wizards and muggles alike, even the most critical of Giles' Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons now in awe of the talented muggle. Giles would be leaving alongside Buffy, Willow and Xander. They had business at the hellmouth. Angel had already left the previous night, not wanting to be caught up in his own kind and his services needed in downtown LA, also avoiding Buffy any more heartache. He'd done his job. She seemed sure their paths would cross again.

Harry wasn't looking forward to them leaving. The experience over the past month had been more intense than anything else he'd experienced, although he did expect worse to come in the years that lay ahead. He still had the threat of Voldemort looming, but for a while at least he was able to lay his worries to rest. 

Ron had his arm around Hermione's waist down by the lake, her head resting on his shoulder, the sparkle in his eyes brighter now than they'd ever been. Harry grinned. At last, he thought. He walked over to his friends and poked Ron playfully in the ribs.

'Anything you want to tell me, Ron?'

Ron went slightly pinked and gave Harry a bemused smile.

'Very funny, Potter…' 

They were interrupted by Buffy emerging from the other side of the carriage that would take them back to Hogsmeade station and onward to London. She smiled at the three of them, flicking her blond hair over her shoulder in the golden sunlight. 

'Well,' she said with a shrug, 'This is it.'

'Yep…' was all that Harry could manage. Giles came over and shook Harry's hand.

'It is a great honour to have worked with you Harry,' he said, his grip firm and professional. 'You are destined for great things. I expect you hear that a lot.'

Harry smiled slightly and glanced over at Buffy, who suddenly became fascinated by her shoes. 

'You have a long road ahead of you, but I expect your next teacher will be able to prepare you adequately for the tasks to come. Good luck.'

Giles climbed into the carriage. After brief goodbye hugs from Xander and Willow, they too followed Giles inside. Buffy lingered outside for one last word with Harry.

'Harry, I'm really pleased to have met you.' She said, giving him an extra long hug. She broke away and rubbed his shoulders. 'And I want to say, well, erm, thanks. Thank you for understanding.' She fell silent, letting her guard down for just that second was obviously quite a feat for a girl who'd seen so much. 'Now don't go and do anything stupid, will you?' Harry laughed. She sounded like Ron' mother. 'I don't think life will be very nice otherwise. Keep in contact, will you?'

Harry nodded silently. Buffy hugged him one more time and climbed into her carriage.

'I'll send you a Kwikspell course!' yelled Hermione at Willow, waving frantically, 'That's if the American bureau doesn't come to its senses first!'

They all laughed. Waving goodbye, they yelled and called out their farewells and thank yous until the carriage disappeared out of the gates and out of their lives forever. Harry felt a little empty for a moment, unsure what to do next. Ron and Hermione took the hint and began to walk back towards the castle, arm in arm, and left Harry to his thoughts. He would miss them all. He sat down at the edge of the lake for quite a while, being a Sunday with no lessons to attend he was alone. He hoped Buffy would be safe, whatever she would end up doing with her life. He hoped they'd meet again. Somewhere deep down, he knew they would.

The passing of another carriage, which stopped up by the castle, suddenly interrupted his thoughts. The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry wasn't interested. They were bound to be another freak of a wizard, out to get Harry for all he was worth. However, as Harry turned round to gaze out across the dark depths of the lake again, he failed to notice the figure get out of the carriage and wander over to his spot. A man in tattered robes began to approach, his grey flicked light brown hair bellowing out in the light breeze, and eventually stopped, a few metres away. He broke into a smile. 

'Mind if I join you?'

Harry froze for a second, as if the sound of the voice was the most unexpected thing to hear on that cold winter morning. He could, however, barely conceal his delight.

'Lupin!"' Harry cried, recognising the voice of his father's friend instantly. He ran over and gave him a much-needed hug. Remus Lupin was back for Harry's last year. He would look after him. Everything was going to be all right. 

*

Additional A/N: Whoo hoo! I'm finished. Sorry it's so long. I didn't mean to, I just got a little carried away! Reviews will be especially welcomed, but please, constructive criticism, no flames! Otherwise I'll cry. You should see the last person who made me cry. Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I didn't know what was gonna happen. I'm sorry to all those H/H people out there, I just love the H/R undertone and after my last load of ramblings I was much in need of such a thing. So there you go. Read and review and make me happy, folks!


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